Lampard has been at the heart of the group which has carried the nation's hopes for more than a decade, alongside Liverpool's Gerrard.

"I think it's a myth," Lampard said.

"There was a lot of talk about Stevie coming to Chelsea years ago and I can't see that we wouldn't have been able to play together if we'd have been playing regularly.

"Going in and playing big tournaments at 4-4-2 at times, it's not easy in midfield, when you're outnumbered, because you're not getting outnumbered against mugs, you're outnumbered against top players."